The Eastern Daily Press was one of the few morning regional papers not to lose sales in the first half of 2011 in another difficult six months for the sector.

The Norwich-based paper, owned by Archant, increased its circulation by 0.6% year on year and 0.2% on the previous six months to 59,490, according to the latest Audit Bureau of Circulations figures published on Wednesday.

Its sister paper, the Ipswich-based East Anglian Daily Times, was down 1.3% year on year but up 0.8% on the previous six months to 29,932.

But morning regional sales were generally down across the board, including Trinity Mirror's Birmingham Mail, down 8.1% year on year and 3% on the previous six months to 47,217.

Its Trinity Mirror stablemate, the Coventry Telegraph, was down 7.9% year on year and 3.4% on the previous six months, to 34,359, while the publisher's Liverpool Daily Post fell 2.1% year on year and 7.3% on the previous six months to 8,217.

Johnston Press's Yorkshire Post had an average sale of 39,698, down 5.2% year on year but only 1.2% lower than the previous six months.

There was a double-digit drop at Northcliffe's Bristol-based Western Daily Press, down 11% year on year to 28,322, a 4.5% decline on the previous six months.

The Western Morning News, Northcliffe's Plymouth title, had an average sale of 31,058, down 7.5% year on year and 2.9% on the previous six months.

Another Northcliffe morning title, the Hull Daily Mail, was down 8.2% year on year and 2.1% on the previous six months to 43,523.

The Darlington-based Northern Echo, published by Newsquest, was down 6.5% year on year and 2.9% on the previous six months to 41,181.

The Daily Echo in Bournmouth, also published by Newsquest, sold 26,818, down 6.2% on the first half of 2010 and 3.8% on the previous six months.

Sister paper the Southern Daily Echo in Southampton was down 7.5% year on year and 3.2% on the previous six months to 31,964.

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